A Fraction of Fate
by Saskiel
Summary: There's an old scroll, hidden in the Uchiha library. It says that in the world, there are soul-mates. Two beings meant to be together, their lives intertwined across space and time. But Sakura has to defy fate in order to save the one who could bring her happiness. Soul-mate!AU, Naruto-verse, ItaSaku with ShiSaku bromance.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN**__: I've been sitting on this half-finished story for months now, not really able to touch it for whatever reason, even though I like it. Originally I wanted to wait until I was completely done writing it and only edit it as I'd start releasing it, but here we are folks... *shrug*_

_Most chapters are from Sakura's or Itachi's POV, although there will be a few here and there from some other character - they are rare._

_As per usual, if you see some major grammar issues, please let me know, politely, in the comments, English ain't my first language and I am aware that I make mistakes._

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Sakura was having a night shift at the hospital, the last one for this week before she'd have two days off. She was looking forward to the break, Ino has been planning a girl's night out for the past month, saying that there was no way she was gonna get out of this one. It wasn't that Sakura didn't like chatting about boys and hearing the latest Konoha gossips right from the best source in town, but with running the hospital, going on ANBU missions and occasional Team 7 mission, her plate was pretty much full as it was.

But with the only sound being the clock on the wall, she came to the conclusion that a little time with the girls will be a nice change of pace. Only a few more hours and she could go home, have a shower in her tiny apartment and proceed to sleep for at least twelve hours. If Kami was merciful, there would be no Naruto banging on her door this time. That boy did not seem to learn the lesson, no matter how many times she punched him through the wall.

"I need a coffee," the young medic murmured to herself as she looked up from the medical files that she was going through. Doing paperwork was definitely not her favorite, but on slow nights like these, it kept her company. And if Sakura was being honest with herself, she'd always prefer filling out the forms rather than spending the whole night in the operation room, fighting for the lives of her fellow shinobi.

The hallway was void of any life form as she strolled through it to the nurses' room. If she remembered correctly, Yda was working tonight and it was known throughout the hospital that the old woman made the best coffee. Sakura was in luck as it would seem, the smell of freshly made batch luring her in. Another sliver of luck was that the nurses were just doing their rounds, so she had the beverage just for herself. Setting her favorite mug, which read "Here's a cup of calm the fuck down" – courtesy of Kakashi when she made it into Anbu, down, she poured the steaming liquid in. Sakura's preference would be putting some cream in, or even flavored syrup, but at the hospital, she'd always keep it simple to get most out of the caffeine.

Placing the pitcher back, she inhaled the lovely smell, already feeling a bit more energized. Moving to stand by the window, she smiled to herself. There were not enough thanks in the world for Yda's masterfully made coffee.

Her moment of happiness did not last long, as she saw dark figures rushing to the entrance of the hospital. From her angle, she caught a glimpse of someone being carried, before they disappeared from her line of sight. Sakura was not the only surgeon working tonight and as the shift was slow so far, she doubted that they'd have a need for her. Her feet started walking in the direction of the main hall anyway, the cup left on the counter.

Soon after leaving the nurses' station, she heard people talking, although they were still too far to discern what was being said. Without noticing, her body switched to a light jog, which turned into a full sprint when she recognized one of the voices.


	2. Chapter 2

"Call her here immediately, he doesn't have the time for this!" Shisui's angry words greeted Sakura when she finally made the last turn. She took in two of her nurses and Oshiro, the other surgeon who was working tonight, as well as furious looking Shisui in Anbu gear, his mask in a tight grip, and the other two Anbu, which were undoubtedly Genma and Itachi. The fact that the captain of the team was being carried and without any trace of movement made her stop in her tracks. Without anyone noticing her presence, Sakura started barking out orders.

"Get him to OR2, immediately, Yda with me, Oshiro you will take care of the other injuries, Shisui, fill me in – now," her staff started moving like a well-oiled machine, following the orders of their chief. Genma, who knew the hospital from his visits like any other shinobi, turned in the direction of the operating room two, carrying the clan heir in his arms, Sakura and Shisui in tow.

"We were returning from a mission in Rivers when a group of rogue nins ambushed us. They didn't have any insignia's. Too late we noticed that they separated us from each other, Itachi seemed to be their target. He was fighting against ten different people. They scattered when Genma and I returned, but their weapons must have been laced with something, Itachi collapsed right as we got there, he must have been hanging in there with sheer will power," the story came pouring out of Shisui while the medic nodded every once in a while, keeping her eye on the man in question, as they rushed to their destination. It wasn't far, but to Sakura, it felt too long.

"Okay, Shisui, I need you and Genma to go with Oshiro now and have him check your wounds, I will take care of Itachi," before the protests could come, she gave him a pointed look.

"You know I will do everything I can. Now go," were the last words that she told him before closing the door in his face. Shisui's worrying presence would do little for her concentration. On the operating table, Yda was already working on removing as much clothing as possible, so that they could get better access to the wounds marring the skin underneath. Sakura could see the attempts of patching up and healing from Shisui and while he wasn't the best, she also learned that he was very attentive and did well under pressure. Which meant only one thing – Itachi looked way worse before they got him to the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura quickly tied her long tresses and washed her hands with hot water, before stepping next to the man on the table. Spreading her fingers just above his chest, the chakra came out naturally, gently entering his own fragile system. The traces of poison were unmistakable. Thankfully, it was a substance that she dealt with before, but on the other hand, she knew this one could be quite fickle and react quite violently with the victim's body.

"We will need to stabilize the cut wounds as well as the internal bleeding and then flush the poison out of his system with chakra – it is purposefully attacking parts of the chakra network," Sakura briefed the nurse on the steps some more when Itachi groaned in pain, drawing their attention.

"He must be in a lot of pain. I'll give him some painkillers," Sakura wordlessly nodded to Yda as she started working on the lacerations on the abdomen. Most of them were not deep, however, the puncture wound was troubling her. Even though it missed anything vital, it was still bleeding heavily. On top of that, his body was trying to fight the poison by burning it out.

They worked mostly in silence for a better part of an hour, the senjutsu from the chief medic knitting the skin together nearly flawlessly. Sakura's mind was filled with preparation for the worst part – the poison extraction.

She knew that it was still damaging the body as she was healing it, but it would be way too dangerous to try to remove it first while he was still bleeding from open wounds. From her past experiences, this specific poison was the result of a toxin from the flower called the Green Flame, commonly found in the Tea Country. The flower was harmless on its own, it was all a matter of how it was prepared. When done right, once the substance was in the bloodstream, it would attack the chakra system. Not only that, it focused very specifically on the fire nature type, which made it use very particular.

There was no doubt on Sakura's mind that Shisui was right. Someone was targeting the Uchiha heir.

"Alright, this should do, for now, we need to proceed to the removal, otherwise we won't get the fever down. Hook him up to an IV with iron and vitamins while I put him into a more secure position. I expect his stomach to not be too happy with us and we can't have him choke on his own vomit," Yda hummed in acknowledgment and immediately started gathering everything that was necessary.

Sakura took the moment to shake her arms to loosen her muscles, as well as rolling the neck a bit. The next time she'd have some time to relax, it would most likely be dawn, which was still at least an hour away. Even though her body was stiff, she was wide awake. After all, there was no room for failure here, the life in her hands was one of an heir to maybe the most prominent clan in Konoha. As well as a brother of her team-mate.

Unwaveringly, the medic reached for the man on her table to position him in a way where he would be safe for the upcoming procedure. But just as her hands touched the torso, the world shifted beneath her feet.

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_**AN**: This is my first fanfiction that I am keeping in the Naruto verse and I am really nervous about it. Let me know what you think of it so far! _


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura found herself in a forest that looked just like any other. Panic came first, as she whipped her head around, scanning her surroundings. There was no sound other than rustling of the leaves and cracking of thick branches in the wind. It looked almost real, but there was something off about the picture.

After the initial panic, the wheels in her mind started spinning wildly.

"Kai," Sakura made the signs to break the genjutsu, but nothing happened. She tried again, this time putting more effort into it, however, when she opened her eyes, there was no change in the scenery.

Sakura was about to try the signs again, when something prickled at her senses, making the fine hair on the back of her neck stand up. Someone was here with her. Years of training took over her body in an instant, making her mask her chakra and silently jump to the nearest branch, which offered a bit more cover than the small clearing she was standing in.

Whoever was lurking nearby seemed to miss her for now, but Sakura was not gonna leave anything to chance. There were only two choices – either run and face the risk of becoming prey to them, or look for the intruder and follow them. Given the fact that she still had no idea where she was or how she got here, it wasn't something to think over for long. With no knowledge of these forests, she would be an easy target would she choose to flee.

Slowly creeping in the top of the tree, looking out for any signs of the enemy, Sakura circled around the clearing, hoping to find herself in the back of the culprits. And sure enough, soon she discovered four figures crouching on different levels of branches above the ground.

"They are not here, we should go back to Konoha. We don't have a choice," Sakura's recognized the voice. In case this was some kind of trick, she decided to not reveal herself yet, but she also needed to get closer.

Studying the forms, she noted the Anbu uniforms. These were her people, but that couldn't be. The man in the middle of the formation was currently on her operating table, definitely not in the middle of wherever this was!

"I agree, let's go back and regroup," another figure spoke up and this time, Sakura was sure that this must have been some sort of illusion. _She_ was the fourth member of this unit. She was the one suggesting to go back.

"No, we might not get an opportunity like this anytime soon," Itachi's voice sent shivers down her spine. The Anbu captain was infamous for his no-nonsense approach during missions, but never did she heard him this cold. Shisui looked as if he wanted to argue about this, but his cousin silenced him with one glance.

"We will retrace our tracks for a while and try to find the trail again. Now move," the younger Uchiha turned around and Sakura went completely still. During her little spy mission, she involuntarily shifted a lot closer than she realized and now he was staring in her direction. In her bloodied scrubs and wide eyes, she mentally started preparing for either explanation or a fight – because you never know.

Itachi was already running straight at her, but he did not pull out a weapon, nor did he seemed to register her standing there, dumbfounded like a deer in the headlights. And then he swooshed right past her.

"Sakura...," she turned around towards Shisui, only to find that he was facing the other woman. He sounded hurt and the slump in his shoulders was unmistakable. The medic wanted to reach out to him, but before she did, the Anbu Sakura sighed deeply.

"I know, Shisui. Maybe this is not it. Not today, maybe...," her voice broke at the end, but she still turned around and jumped in the direction in which Itachi left not too long ago, with Shisui following behind her.

Even if she did not know herself perfectly, anyone would be able to hear the defeat in what she said. The way she tried to persuade herself, more than anyone willing to listen. The young medic was perplexed about the situation but decided to investigate further. Only this time, she did not bother hiding her presence.

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_**AN**: Thank you for those two comments, I appreciate it a lot! :) As for the chapters being on a shorter scale, I am aware, but unfortunately with my current skill that's the best I can do..._


	5. Chapter 5

The group and their observer traveled for about ten minutes south before Itachi picked out a different direction. No words were spoken between them, the atmosphere thick and heavy. Sakura tried to pick up on anything that would be out of place so that she could return back, but this whole situation was beyond weird, therefore it was hard to pinpoint what she should focus on.

Her eyes drifted towards the captain, who was in the leading position, fearlessly jumping from branch to branch. There were times when his squad needed a medic on the mission and then she'd usually accompany them, so she was no stranger to seeing Itachi like this, but never before she got the time and luxury to just watch him. The grace with which he moved, especially at this speed, was drawing her attention.

It didn't hurt that the Anbu uniforms were tight fitted and gave her the perfect opportunity to ogle his lean body and nice butt a bit.

Fully lost in admiring his form, Sakura completely missed the two shinobi who sprang from the trees above them at first. Thankfully, her Anbu squad was on high alert and quickly adjusted to the ambush. After that, everything became a blur for Sakura.

The first wave of attack engaged with Shisui, while two more men squads leaped to Genma and Sakura, cutting off their leader. Itachi came to a full stop and started moving back to his team when four more intruders circled him. Whatever and whenever this was, they were clearly prepared for them, Sakura realized.

It was even more evident when she saw the pair fighting with her friends, as well as other herself. Her Anbu-self kept dodging mid-range attacks while trying to close the distance between them, but the enemy seemed to be one step ahead of her, moving out of her range before she could unleash her monstrous strength.

Genma and Shisui were facing a similar issue, their enemies toying with them, even with the teleportation skills that they both possessed. The assailants gave no opportunity to look away and help their teammates.

But by the looks of it, Itachi was the one who they deemed as the biggest threat, seeing as he was facing four shinobi at the same time. Medic-Sakura rushed to his side and although she knew it would most likely be fruitless, she tried to parry an attack that was directed towards her captain. The kunai passed her body as if there was no resistance. Grunting, the woman jumped away and decided to observe the fight instead.

Two of the opponents were engaged in ruthless taijutsu, but even with the two of them, Itachi's skill was superior and he was gaining advantage fast. The tomoe in his eyes were spinning madly, observing every detail of their movements, predicting the upcoming kicks and jabs.

In the background, Sakura heard grunting from the other fights, but her eyes seemed to be unable to leave the sight right in front of her. She wanted to scream at Itachi whenever one of the remaining shinobi threw kunai or mid-range jutsu, desperate at being the bystander in this fight on life and death.

She trusted her captain to be able to defend himself, but being a proud kunoichi herself made it so much harder to just stand aside and let them fight. The blood in her veins was singing with the melody of battle and she was unable to dance in its rhythm.

Itachi's actions were calculated and precise, only using as much rotation needed to land the next blow, barely lifting his arm to parry the incoming attack. Even for a shinobi of his skill, he needed to be careful and preserve all the energy needed in the odds of this power play. He just needed to wait out for an opening and hope that his team would not suffer in his absence.

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_**AN**: Thank you all so much for the reviews so far, I really appreciate it. There are things in this story which I am doing for the first time (mainly describing _any _action and fights). Very nervous about that because it just doesn't feel very fluent to me xD The next chapter that I will release will be double because there are two shorter ones, one from Shisui's POV and then back to Sakura._

_Please review what your thoughts are so far, I'd love to hear them :3_


	6. Chapter 6

Less than a hundred meters from Itachi, his cousin was frantically trying to end the fight himself. They were one of Konoha's best and while being outnumbered was nothing new for them, rarely did the enemy do their homework so thoroughly, which unsettled him. It reminded him too much of the night when he almost lost his baby cousin.

Activating his blood limit, Shisui's crimson eyes took the form of mangekyou sharingan. He needed to end the fight now, regardless of the consequences of using his powers at the maximum. But first, he needed to set the trap.

Disengaging from his opponents, Shisui's hands instantly started moving through the sings needed for his strongest genjutsu. Just as he intended, the two shinobi followed after him, trying to attack him head-on, thinking him defenseless for the moment. They were now mere meters from him, drawing their katanas out of their sheaths. But the Uchiha was ready for them.

"Kotoamatsukami!" Shisui's voice boomed through the trees, just as his eyes pinned down the approaching men. In that instant, they came to a full stop, before darting off to the trees. Soon, each of them would join the fights of Sakura's and Genma's. That was the last thing he saw before his eyes filled with blood and he collapsed against a tree.

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_**AN**: Just a really short scene before we cruise back to Sakura._


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura's eyebrows rose in surprise when she saw another enemy approach her, just after hearing Shisui. Did that mean they got to him since they were joining the battle against her? Before she could even process that, the newcomer turned his blade to the ever-elusive ninja that she's been fighting with for what felt like forever. The katana entered the man's body from behind, below his ribs, making its way up to his lungs. He never ever saw it coming.

His teammate managed to parry the incoming weapon, but that left his side wide open. Sakura, deciding she'd question Kami later, took the opportunity and launched her chakra-enhanced punch straight to where his liver would be. The man collapsed to the ground instantly, his body in shock. It was a dirty move, but the lives of her squad were on the line here.

Not that far from her, Genma just finished his opponents as well, with the help the other shinobi trapped in Shisui's genjutsu. He and Sakura regrouped right after that, finding out that both Uchiha were nowhere to be found.

"Go find Shisui, these men must be his doing, so he's likely vulnerable. I'll go to the captain," Sakura said quickly, used to giving orders in times of emergency, barely giving Genma the time to nod before she darted off to the sound of the ongoing combat.

When she got there, two enemies were already dealt with. If they were dead or just knocked out, she didn't know and frankly, didn't care. Her captain looked mostly unharmed, although she spotted a few shallow-looking cuts as she joined the battle.

With the two of them, the playing field was much more balanced. They've worked as a team before and knew each other's strengths well. Itachi would for force the enemy to back off with fire ninjutsu - straight to her close range, where, if they were not fast enough, Sakura would unleash her inhuman punches.

In less than two minutes, it was over, the ambushers being either dead or paralyzed on the forest floor. Both Sakura and Itachi were breathing heavily, but other than a brief glance in each other's direction, they did not let their guard down, not yet.

Medic-Sakura watched how they slowly started to relax, her Anbu counterpart now fully staring at her captain.

"Are you okay?" She asked, still a bit breathless.

Itachi merely nodded. "Where are Genma and Shisui?"

"They should be here shortly, Shisui exhausted himself with a genjutsu, but Genma went for him after we dealt with the forces that separated us. I don't hear any more fighting in any case," as she replied to him, Sakura went around, checking the bodies on the ground for a heartbeat. They'd need at least one of them alive to bring back to Konoha for questioning, preferably two.

Itachi's eyes did not leave her form. Medic-Sakura watched a variety of emotions flicker through his sharingan eyes. Endearment, pain, and anger. She was sure that if she'd blink, she'd miss all of it.


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN**: A short chapter with POV from Genma, since the group split up, but they shall be reunited very soon, next chapter will be with Sakura again._

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After he split his way with Sakura, Genma had to look for the other man for a while before the trail lead him to a slumped figure. Jumping to his side, he first made sure there were no evident traps around, before addressing Shisui.

"So you thought it would be fun to just leave us with them there, eh?" Genma said, jokingly.

But when the Uchiha lifted his head, blood trailing from eyes, one of them still closed while the other was barely open to see his friend, Genma's mood sobered.

"Let's get you back to our medic, I'm sure she will be able to do something about this," he said, helping Shisui up. His body was clearly not happy with that and so Genma holstered him around his shoulders, determined to piggyback him if need be.

"Is Itachi alright?" Shisui's voice came out weak, but the concern there was clear.

Shrugging slightly to not to injure his team-mate any more, he told him not to speak and save his strength. "Sakura went to help him, so I'm sure they will be fine. You just hang on."

On a normal occasion, they'd teleport closer to the rest of the group, but it was unwise to do so in the enemy territory, both for chakra saving purposes, as well as not give away their position in case there was a sensory type nearby. Thankfully, it wasn't very far.

"Genma," Shisui made a break as if it was hard for him to continue speaking, "please hurry up. I don't have –"

Before he could finish his sentence, the darkness overtook him. Genma cursed as the limp body of his friend almost slipped. Quickly readjusting his grip, he dashed straight back to his team, hoping that Shisui would be fine. But for that, Sakura needed to be there. He prayed to Kami that he would not be late, as he jumped from branch to branch.

Unknowing to them all, the genjutsu broke and released the remaining ambushers from its grasp, as they watched the captain and the medic, preparing to strike for the final time.


	9. Chapter 9

The green hue around Sakura's hands diminished and she let out a small sigh. This man was also dead, most likely her own doing, if the internal damage was anything to go by. There was one more body she had to check before they could go find the rest of the squad. Briefly, she thought back to the man she liver-punched, considering if there was any chance he would be able to survive, but she quickly dismissed that. The possibility of that was slim.

"Are all of them dead?" Itachi asked after hearing her groan for the second time.

"It would seem so. I was hoping that at least one of them would be just knocked out, but that's not the case," Sakura stood up and stretched her arms. "Are you sure that you are okay?" She turned back to her captain, assessing his form longer than she did before.

"Hn," came the classic response. Sakura merely rolled her eyes and approached the man, not trusting his non-committing noise. Raising her hands to his torso, she let her healing chakra glow around her fingers once more, careful not to touch him.

He was staring down at her, making it look to any bystanders as if he was somehow offended by her attention. Sakura paid him no mind, clearly used to this display by now. Just as she thought, most wounds were quite superficial, he simply looked tired more than anything.

The other Sakura was observing them, noting how her Anbu counterpart still kept her distance, even though it would probably be easier for her to get results were her hands on his body. Even with perfect chakra control, making it flow directly to the skin was faster than making it travel those few centimeters between them.

The couple was oblivious to her staring at them, which made it slightly uncomfortable for Sakura. She felt like an intruder, watching how her own shoulders were still stiff while healing Itachi. How he was looking down at her, his brows slightly furrowed and his mouth in a thin line. Words kept hanging between them, unspoken.

Eventually, Sakura just couldn't take the sight and turned away from the couple. It felt like forever since she was standing in her operation room, fighting for Itachi's life. She was still nowhere closer to figuring out how to get back.

A sigh left her lips, yet no one was able to hear it. The wind was playing with the leaves and the hum of the senjutsu was soothing. Then, the calm was broken by the sound of a thousand needles piercing the air.

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_**AN**: Sorry I haven't posted sooner, got a new puppy and he's been keeping me super busy XD his only luck is that he's so cute and that we don't have practically any carpets x)_


	10. Chapter 10

Medic-Sakura saw the massive jutsu first and she screamed at her team-mates to duck down, but they were oblivious to her warning. She realized then, that she was going to watch them die. The speed of the projectile was too fast for them to move out of its trajectory.

Itachi was the first one to notice the attack, his blood limit still on. If they were to make it out, he'd have to flicker them away and even that seemed to be uncertain.

"Sakura!" His hand had moved on its own accord as his fingers wrapped around her upper arm, slightly digging into the skin.

However, he never flickered away. Both the medic and the Anbu Sakuras watched his face go completely blank for a split second, his eyes focused on nothing in particular. The momentum carried on as he shoved Sakura out of harm's way, just fast enough that the jutsu missed her.

At that moment, the rest of their squad arrived at the scene and Genma started acting immediately. Dropping Shisui's limp body to the ground as gently as possible, he flashed to the assailants, who clearly did not see him approach. For them, it was over in a split second, but the damage was already done.

Anbu-Sakura saw the flying sword made out of pure energy enter Itachi's abdomen. She watched his body sank to his knees. Not bothering to get up, she crawled to him from the spot she landed on when he pushed her aside.

"No, no, no!" She cursed to no one in particular as her chakra came to life once again, both hands now touching his body.

xxx

Itachi let out a wheeze as his eyes refocused. He looked up to find Sakura on the verge of tears. The pain coursing through him was almost unbearable, but seeing her like this made his heartbreak. Quickly glancing around, he saw Genma ruthlessly kill their last enemies. He noted his cousin on the ground, unmoving, but he wasn't worried.

"Sakura," Itachi said, gently.

She shook her head in response, making one tear roll down her face. "Don't speak, I can heal you. I _will_ heal you."

"Sakura, look at me," he forced his hand through the discomfort, cupping her cheek. She complied, but her hands never stopped pushing the chakra into him. The second her eyes focused on his face, she lost all her willpower not to cry.

"This is the happiest day of my life," he stopped talking as he sucked in a breath, the pain written in his face. But then he smiled at her. "There is so much I want to tell you," he said, rubbing small circles on her cheekbone, trying to comfort her, but also savoring the touch of her skin.

"You will tell me tomorrow, okay?" Her vision blurry, she tore her eyes away from him as she fixated on her shaking hands, fingers touching his torso. She needed to concentrate, there was no way she was gonna fail him.

"It's okay, Haruno," Itachi whispered as he stopped stroking her face. "I love you," the words sounded more like a prayer. His limb fell next to him, lifelessly.

"Itachi? Itachi!" Sakura screamed out his name as she saw his eyes turn from red back to black, still turned towards her but now unseeing. "Noo!" Her voice disturbed the quiet woods.

xxx

The other Sakura watched with horror everything that was happening. She saw her counterpart fighting for the life of her captain with more desperation than she's ever seen in anyone. She wanted to help, needed to help, but she didn't know how. So she just stood there, as the Anbu-Sakura released her yin seal. She heard her sobs and they echoed through her soul as well.

It was that sound that carried with her when she blinked next time, only to find herself standing back in her operation room, with hands on Itachi. The nurse noticed the pause and looked questioningly at the medic, seeing a single tear fall down.

"Chief, is everything okay, do you need any help with turning the patient around?" She asked a little dumbfounded.

Sakura fluttered her eyes a few times, confused about the sudden change of the environment. "No, Yda, I'm...," she cleared her throat in an attempt to get a better grip on the situation, "everything is okay, we will proceed with the poison extraction now."

The nurse nodded and continued with the preparations, oblivious to Sakura's inner turmoil. The medic looked down at the knocked-out Uchiha, not knowing if she should scream or cry. She was not closer to figuring out what just happened, but the raw pain that continued to linger in her body was hard to ignore. Whatever this vision was, it was bound to happen.

Uchiha Itachi, her captain, and team-mate, would die in her arms. And there was nothing that she would be able to do about it.

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_**AN**: I swear that from now on, the POV should be a little more clear, lol. Please review? I'd love to hear your thoughts :))_


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN**: We are now back in the present!_

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The whole extraction took nearly four hours. By the time it was done, Sakura was ready to sleep. Files that were still spread on her desk would have to wait for her, after her break. Or she'd tell Shizune to take care of them. Either way, she was going home, have a hot shower and sleep till the evening, preferably.

The streets were busy with people, some briefly greeting her, others going about with their life. Normally, Sakura would stop at the market to pick up groceries, because she knew that there was barely anything edible left in her apartment, but her whole body was screaming at her to just go home and sleep. More than willing to oblige, she dragged herself all the way to the old apartment building. The main reason she chose this place was the proximity to the hospital, rather than it's "neglected charm" as Kakashi once put it, but even that eventually grew on her. The neighborhood mostly consisted of civilians or retired shinobi. Over the past three years, she befriended many of them.

Sakura made her way up to the fourth and highest floor, staring at the peach-colored door that lead to her home. Sleepily she went through a series of seals to unlock them, before slipping in. Tossing her keys into the bowl on the coffee table, without question why she still even carried them, the young medic made her way to the bedroom and the adjacent bathroom.

Turning on the shower, so that the water had time to warm up, Sakura looked at herself in the mirror. There was a small smudge of dried blood on her cheek that she must have missed when she was cleaning herself before leaving the hospital. She touched it with her fingertips, making most of it crumble away. It reminded her of Itachi and the weird vision that she had in the operation room. Letting out a deep sigh, she started peeling off her scrubs.

As she stepped under the hot stream of water, her mind went back to what she saw, trying to make a sense of it. The operation took all her concentration, so there wasn't a time yet where she could recall and analyze the whole thing. Even with all the books she's read, she had no recollection of anything similar to what happened to her. That didn't mean that she wasn't going to go to the library first thing tomorrow and search through the entire collection of Konoha's literature.

Rubbing the shampoo into her hair, Sakura slowly let her muscles relax. She knew that firstly, she needed sleep. There would be time to figure this out once she had solid eight hours of shut-eye, so, for now, she allowed herself to just enjoy the droplets hitting her skin as the strawberry-smelling foam washed down her bareback.

After the pleasant time under the showerhead, she turned off the water and stepped out, reaching for a white fluffy towel, enveloping herself in it. Wiping the fog off the mirror, Sakura lightly brushed her hair before braiding it. From her experience, it was so much easier to manage it this way than wake up looking like a blown poodle.

Loading the washer with her work clothes, she padded bare-feet back into her bedroom, fully intending on falling asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

Unfortunately for her, the visitor launching on her bed had a very different plan in his mind.

* * *

_**AN**: Thank you to all the lovely people who left me a review, I appreciate them so much that you can't even imagine. I've had a few pretty bad days, I don't want to cry here in too much detail, but for the past twenty-four hours, I've been on the edge of self-harm. It's a pretty shitty mindset to be in and I'd not wish it on anyone, but re-reading your reviews made a real difference. So, please, if you are lurking around and never comment on stories that you read, doesn't matter if its mine or someone else's, just drop a few kind words, they are more important than you might think._


	12. Chapter 12

_**AN**: Thank you all for the encouraging comments! I am glad that you are all enjoying the story so far, so as a little treat, I have combined this part, rather than posting it as three separate things, which is how I originally wrote it._

* * *

Shisui was lunging on her sheets, seemingly without a care in the world. By now, Sakura was used to various of her friends just appearing in her house. All of them, with the occasional exception of Naruto, knew not to get there after her night shift, unless they wanted to be sporting a black eye for a few days. But today, she was too tired to even bother, all she could muster was a stare in his general direction before exhaling in defeat.

"At least turn around while I change, would you?" She said, walking to the old dresser she brought here from her parents.

Shisui complied by lying flat on his back, his eyes closed. "How is Itachi? I went to the hospital, but they told me you already left and that he is fine."

Sakura's hand paused on the handle of the drawer for a split second before she pulled out Naruto's old training shirt and cream-colored shorts. "Yeah, everything went well. There's no reason why he wouldn't make a full recovery. He will be out for a few days probably so that his body can rest properly," the medic said as she discarded her towel and put her sleeping attire on. "Scooch over," she told him as she tried to get under the blanket.

Her bed was one of the first things that she bought with her paycheck after moving in alone and it was one of the most expensive pieces of furniture she owned. It would comfortably fit three people, as long as they didn't punch in their sleep. Hence the reason Naruto was only welcome to nap in her bed when she wasn't directly next to him. He blamed Kurama. She didn't care.

A content sigh left her lips as she closed her eyes, the mattress below her soft and cozy.

"Cute short," Shisui said, his teasing voice too close for comfort.

The medic reluctantly opened her eyes again, turning her head to pin the male in her bed with a glare that promised pain.

"If you want to flirt, Uchiha, I suggest you go find someone who is actually interested and leave me alone before I punch you through the wall."

Shisui gave her a boyish smile in return. "Maa, no need to get all cranky at me for the compliment."

She did not find it funny. He gave her a few seconds before dropping his smile, serious look on his face.

"The attack wasn't random, Sakura. I don't know who is behind it, yet, but I was hoping you could tell me what you found out."

Sakura knew he didn't mean it as a command, although it came across as one. Rubbing her temples with fingertips, she grunted.

Sleep was out of the question.

**xxx**

Sakura set up the water boiler on the stove as she reached for two mugs and instant coffee. The sun was streaming into her kitchenette through the curtains, filling it with warmth. Some birds were singing not too far from her apartment, creating the perfect morning picture, that she normally loved. Right now, she wanted to put a non-see-through tape in the window and perform sleep-inducing senjutsu on those tiny, loud creatures.

At this point, she was changed into loose sweatpants and her work out tank-top, so that she wouldn't receive any more comments about her sleeping shorts from Shisui.

Speaking of that particular Uchiha, he was currently sitting at her dining table, watching Sakura with a solemn expression.

They stayed silent while she was preparing their morning fix. The old water kettle filled the room with it's high pitched noises, as well as those damned birds.

Once the coffee was standing on the opposite sides of the table, Sakura sat down, inhaling those sweet vapors. Shisui waited patiently as it took her another minute before she finally opened her mouth.

"I have an inkling that you are correct. The poison used reacts to specific natures of chakra and while it comes from an ordinary herb that you can find easily, it's not used that commonly in combat, simply because of the chance that it won't do anything to the victim," Sakura took a sip of her coffee after explaining the basics. She really had to save some money for a proper coffee machine. "You said that they didn't have anything on them that would tell us more about where they are from or what they want, right?" She asked, looking at the man across from her.

"Yeah, they wore very non-descriptive clothes, no protectors which would indicate their affiliation, nothing. Even their fighting style was rather flavorless, really. No jutsu that stood out, normal taijutsu. They didn't attempt any genjutsu, but as I said before, I didn't feel completely random, so I'd assume they knew it would be pointless," Shisui said as he scratched his head, a telltale sign to anyone who knew him that he was thinking very hard.

Sakura listened to him as he spoke. He was obviously worried about his cousin, but there was more to it than that. Itachi was the rightful heir to the Uchiha clan. Shisui was here both as a friend and as a clan member.

He accompanied her on plenty missions and she knew him well even before that, from the dinner parties at Sasuke's house where Mikoto, her team-mate's mother, would often invite Team 7 and Shisui just always happened to be there. Over the years, the two created a strong bond, possibly stronger than between her and Sasuke, if she was being honest with herself, since Shisui didn't always act as if he had a stick up his ass.

"Shisui," Sakura paused minutely, unsure of how to continue. It was his questioning look, full of concern, that made her continue that sentence. "There is something more which you should probably know..."

**xxx**

It didn't take Sakura long to tell everything she could recall from the vision. Shisui didn't interrupt her while she talked, the half-full cup forgotten on the table in front of him. He watched every expression she made closely. She kept fidgeting in her seat.

"And then he died, Shisui. I couldn't save him," she said, her voice small. There was a reflection to her eyes which were cast down, focusing on her fingers playing with the ear on the mug. "I still have absolutely no clue what it was or what it means, but it felt real. Too real."

Hearing the sorrow in her words, Shisui reached out to grasp one of her hands, which in turn made her look up. She found a sad smile looking back at her.

"There's an old scroll, hidden in the Uchiha library. Most people don't even know about it, I probably wouldn't know about it if I didn't spend half my childhood there, after my parents died," he withdrew his hand, knowing he had her full attention, "it says that in the world, there are soul-mates. Two beings meant to be together, their lives intertwined across space and time. Or something like that, anyway, it has been a long time since I've read it.

"It also says, that you will know someone is your other half by witnessing the happiest day of their life when you first touch them. You said in your vision, Itachi said that he felt happy?" She nodded, trying to comprehend everything Shisui was saying.

"Sakura, I always thought it was just a nice fairy tale that someone wrote as a story for children and they put it away because it was no time for bedtime stories. But now I think it might actually be true."

He watched her take it all in and shake her head soon after. She was exhausted both physically and emotionally. They were in Konoha, where kids became shinobi and sometimes died too soon, but that was the risk of their trade. Sometimes, they lost their comrades or mentors. They helped nations rise and fall for a fee soaked with blood. They did _not_ have soul-mates and they definitely did not see them die.

"He can never know, Shisui. Promise me you won't tell him -"

"But, Sakura -"

"No, if he doesn't know, he will stay alive. I won't go on any missions with him and he will stay safe. Promise me you will not tell him," Sakura pleaded, but the tone was anything but.

The Uchiha looked her in the face, possibly searching for something, anything. When he didn't find it, he sighed.

"You have my word," the silence stretched between them before Shisui stood up and left.


	13. Chapter 13

_**AN**: Thank you for your support, I am glad people are enjoying the story_

* * *

Itachi spent three more days in the hospital, recuperating after the surgery. He woke up to the beeping sound of a machine monitoring his heartbeat. The only light coming into the room was from the hallway through the tinted glass panel embedded in the door, making it a bit easier for him to adjust his eyes.

There were three chairs in his room, two at the opposite wall and one next to his bed. The further ones were empty, but the third one had a sleeping occupant in it. Itachi needed to blink a few times to clear his vision, but he recognized his brother soon enough.

He wanted to gently pat him, but his movement was restricted by the IV in his arm, so he chose to lightly clear his throat instead. Both he and his brother were light sleepers, so there was no doubt he would stir awake.

"Nii-san?" Sasuke mumbled sleepily as he sat up straighter. "Nii-san, you are awake! I will call the doctor," all traces of sleep were gone as he stood up hastily and basically fled from the room in search of the nearest doctor.

Itachi sighed, hoping that his brother would first tell him how long he was out for, but knowing that if the situation was reversed, he would have acted similarly.

With the door open, more light streamed in, making Itachi squint. He took the time to focus on his body, waiting for the pain to come, however, he just felt tired. Recalling the last thing he saw, he remembered traveling back home from a mission. He thought he remembered a fight, but his mind drew a blank.

Before he got any further, Sasuke came stomping back into the room with a doctor in tow. Itachi recognized the man from his previous visits to the hospital but never bothered to memorize his name.

"Good evening, Uchiha-san, my name is Oshiro. You've spent the last seventy-two hours sleeping, but there seems to be no permanent damage that we can tell. Would you mind telling me how you feel, any pain or discomfort?" The doctor inquired as he checked the monitor and made some notes onto the paper-clip that he had with him.

"Good evening, doctor Oshiro," Itachi nodded to the man, "other than slight fatigue, I am feeling absolutely fine."

Oshiro wrote some more words onto the chart as he continued asking more specific questions, concerning the senses as well as breathing and a general feeling in Itachi's body. He seemed to be satisfied with the answers and soon after he left, but not before informing both Uchihas that he would be able to go home tomorrow morning. As the door closed behind him, Itachi turned back to his brother.

"Are Genma and Shisui alright?"

Sasuke nodded before elaborating. "Both of them are fine, they were discharged soon after bringing you in. Shisui was here earlier today but he left. It's good that Sakura was here that night, from what I've heard the operation was quite a lengthy one."

"Did she tell you what it was, then?" Itachi scratched his arm, the IV getting more uncomfortable by the minute.

"It was some kind of poison that reacts differently to specific chakra natures, but you should ask her."

"Yes, I shall do that, as well as thank her. Tomorrow," Sasuke knew his brother well enough to understand the dismissal in his words.

"Get some rest, nii-san. I will inform okaa-san that you will be home tomorrow," they exchanged their good-night wishes before the younger Uchiha left, leaving Itachi to sleep.

**xxx**

It took three more days after being discharged from the hospital for Itachi to deal with the mission report, upset Hokage and the clan elders before he was able to track Sakura down. He found her on the training ground four, where she was currently reorganizing the trees, by the sound of it. Letting his presence known by a subtle cough, he approached the kunoichi. He wasn't sure if he imagined the frown on her face when she saw him, as it was gone as soon as it appeared.

"Good day, Haruno-san," he greeted her, politely, stopping a respectable distance from her.

"Hello, Uchiha-san. What brings you here?" She asked with a not unkind tone.

"I have been told that you were the one who helped me when my team brought me back to Konoha and I wanted to thank you personally."

"I was merely doing my job, Uchiha-san. There's no need to thank me for that," Sakura shook her head slightly. "Now, if that is all, I am sorry to say, but I must be going - back to the hospital."

Itachi, not being one to press the issue when it wasn't necessary, moved aside for her to walk past him. "Of course, you must be busy. Have a good day," he watched her smile at him and he continued watching her as she walked away from him, with a hurried pace.

* * *

_**AN**: First chapter form Itachi's point of view! From now on, we will be seeing some events from his side... _


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